Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

In an attempt to drive down the prices for anti-inflammatory medications, Express Scripts, the nation’s largest drug benefits manager, changed its recommendations to insurers and employers, saying they should cover fewer drugs for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

The New York Times:
A Push To Lower Drug Prices That Hit Insurers And Employers The Hardest
Americans have expressed outrage at drug companies for raising prices on products like EpiPen, the severe allergy treatment needed by thousands of children, and Daraprim, a rarely used but essential drug to treat a parasitic infection. But insurers and employers — who pay the bulk of the cost for drugs — say that a bigger financial shock has come from a largely overlooked source: expensive anti-inflammatory medications like Humira and Enbrel, drugs taken by millions of people for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In recent years, the prices of the medications have doubled, making them the costliest drug class in the country by some calculations. (Thomas, 9/8)

In other national health care news —

The Associated Press:
Why Insurance Denies Your Claim, But Pays Your Neighbor's
Glaring differences in insurance coverage persist for amputees, children with autism and others in need of certain expensive treatments even after the Affordable Care Act set new standards as part of its push to expand and improve coverage, and despite efforts by states to mandate coverage for some treatments. These differences don't develop simply because some people pay more for better coverage. Instead, they stem from random factors like what state someone lives in or who happens to provide their coverage — and often people can do nothing about it. The federal health care law largely leaves decisions on what actually gets covered up to states or employers who provide insurance for their workers. (9/8)

USA Today:
Proving Legal Status Slows Immigrants' Ability To Get, Keep Health Coverage
For thousands of consumers, proving they are legal U.S. residents so they can keep their Obamacare plans can be a bigger health care challenge than affording them. Documentation issues over immigration or citizenship status ensnared more than a half million people who bought plans on HealthCare.gov last year. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell noted 85% fewer people had their plans terminated for these "data matching" issues for the first three months of 2016 — the most recent information available — than the first quarter of 2015. (O'Donnell, 9/8)

Politico:
Senate Nears Zika Funding Breakthrough
Senate leaders may be nearing a truce in the ideological battle over Planned Parenthood that's crippled Congress’ response to the Zika virus. Senior senators and aides said Thursday that the main impediment to a $1.1 billion bill to combat the virus — a fight over which health centers in Puerto Rico can use Zika funding — is likely to be dropped from the debate. That would allow the Zika money to more easily be tucked into a government funding bill that must pass by the end of the month to avoid a government shutdown. The House would remain a major hurdle, however: Republicans in that chamber are warning that they have a harder line against any funding that includes Planned Parenthood. (Everett, Kim and Haberkorn, 9/8)

NPR:
Widespread Use Of Prescription Drugs Provides Ample Supply For Abuse
Almost half of all Americans take prescription painkillers, tranquilizers, stimulants or sedatives, according to results of a federal survey released Thursday. The prevalent use of these drugs could help explain why millions of Americans end up misusing or abusing them. Last year, for the first time, the government's National Survey on Drug Use decided to ask the people it interviewed about all uses of prescription medicines, not just inappropriate use. The survey found that 119 million Americans over the age of 12 took prescription psychotherapeutic drugs. That's 45 percent of the population. (Harris, 9/8)

This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.